Agricultural and Industrial 

 Progress in Canada 



A monthly review of Agricultural and Industrial progress in Canada, 

 published by the Department of Colonization and Development of the 

 Canadian Pacific Railway at Montreal, Canada. 



VOL. 3 No. 2 



MONTREAL 



February, 1921 



Canada's 1920 Trade 



THE figures of Canada's total trade for 

 1920 make the most notable showing in 

 Canadian commercial history, consti- 

 tuting a record in the amount of business 

 transacted. Total trade was $2,639,716,000, or 

 $40,000,000 over the total for 1917, which was 

 previously the record year, and more than 

 $400,000,000 in excess of the 1919 figures. 

 Imports for the year were $1,336,911,000, and 

 the total exports, $1,302,805,000. 



The increase in the value of exports, main- 

 tained in spite of a marked decline in prices, is a 

 striking tribute to the 

 soundness of Canada's 

 export trade. The total 

 trade between Canada 

 and the United States 

 amounted to $1,507,- 

 651,094 as compared 

 with $1,231,656,516 in 

 1919, an increase of 



twenty-two per cent in the year. Imports 

 amounted to $921,625,825, and exports to $586,- 

 025,269. Canada's total trade with the United 

 Kingdom fell away to the extent of $53,000,000 

 during the year, amounting to $574,689,000 as 

 compared with $626,633,000 for 1919. This was 

 due to the decline in exports consequent upon 

 the rate of exchange militating severely against 

 the purchase of Canadian products. 



Canada's total export trade registered an 

 advance of $8,000,000 over that for 1919, which 

 is a remarkable showing when it is considered 

 that only a small portion of it was done through 

 the assistance of government credits or even of 

 private long term credits of any considerable 



CANADA'S TRADE 



Total Trade. 

 1920.. $2,639,716,000 $1 

 1919. . 2,235,844,000 

 1918 . 2,153,898,000 



magnitude. A survey of the trade figures of the 

 last month of the year shows that there was an 

 increase of about $43,000,000 in exports of food 

 products, mainly grain. Exports of wood and 

 wood products, which included pulp and paper, 

 totalled approximately $23,400,000, or nearly 

 $5,000,000 over the value for December, 

 1919. 



The growing nature of Canada's export trade 

 is evident from the fact that while in 1913-14 

 eighty-seven per cent of it was done with the 

 United States and the United Kingdom, in 

 1920 only 73 per cent of it was done with these 

 countries, and this despite adverse exchange con- 

 ditions which reduced 

 exports to European 

 states. On the other 

 hand, whereas in 1913- 

 14, 14.8 per cent of 

 the imports came from 



FOR THREE YEARS 

 Imports. Total Exports 

 ,336,911,000 $1,302,805,000 

 941,013,000 1,294,830,000 

 910,171,000 1,243,727,000 



countries other than 

 the United States and 

 United Kingdom, in 

 1920, only 13.7 percent did so. 



A digest of the year's trade figures, noting 

 especially those of the last months of the year, 

 gives a gratifying impression from a national 

 standpoint. There is indication of a tendency 

 towards an equalization of imports and exports 

 with the United States, the inequality of which, 

 since the war, has brought about the existing 

 exchange situation and revolutionized affairs 

 between the two countries. In view, however, 

 of general conditions prevailing since the ter- 

 mination of hostilities, the Dominion has 

 reason to be satisfied with its record business 

 vear. 



